Cold plasma has been well-hidden. Space physicists have long lacked clues to how much of this electrically charged gas exists tens of thousands of miles above Earth and how the stuff may impact our planet's interaction with the sun. Now, a new method developed by Swedish researchers makes cold plasma measurable and reveals significantly more cold, charged ions in Earth's upper altitudes than previously imagined. ...................................

............While low-energy ions are not responsible for the damage caused by space weather, they do influence that weather. André compared the swaths of ions to, say, a low-pressure area in our familiar, down-to-Earth weather — as opposed to a harmful storm. It is a key player, even if it doesn’t cause the damage itself. "You may want to know where the low-pressure area is, to predict a storm,” André noted.

"In Lofoton, Norway, the CME's arrival produced a surge in ground currents outside the laboratory of Rob Stammes":Nice chart at: [link to spaceweather.com]

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." - "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."-- Thomas Jefferson

there's clearly a LOT of energy out there (what with proton/ electron counts and atmospheric ionization [seen in the D-RAP chart]) and its messed with some(much?) of our instrumentation...on purpose, on accident and possible 'ass saving' going on not with standing...

i think this thing done passed us by...

based on this data: [link to www.bigupload.com] which is a graphical comparison between last year's double whammy x class and this current double whammy... and lookin' at the general wave shapes.. i'd say we seen the worst this particular CME has to offer.

there's clearly a LOT of energy out there (what with proton/ electron counts and atmospheric ionization [seen in the D-RAP chart]) and its messed with some(much?) of our instrumentation...on purpose, on accident and possible 'ass saving' going on not with standing...

i think this thing done passed us by...

based on this data: [link to www.bigupload.com] which is a graphical comparison between last year's double whammy x class and this current double whammy... and lookin' at the general wave shapes.. i'd say we seen the worst this particular CME has to offer.

there's clearly a LOT of energy out there (what with proton/ electron counts and atmospheric ionization [seen in the D-RAP chart]) and its messed with some(much?) of our instrumentation...on purpose, on accident and possible 'ass saving' going on not with standing...

i think this thing done passed us by...

based on this data: [link to www.bigupload.com] which is a graphical comparison between last year's double whammy x class and this current double whammy... and lookin' at the general wave shapes.. i'd say we seen the worst this particular CME has to offer.

feels that way too...

shrug.

Quoting: learner 8531500

might be one more half wave ahead... we'll c.

Quoting: learner 8531500

yes, feels same to menow we await how our capacitor (earth) discharges

....it looks like somebody erased all the funky-looking solar wind velocities. Why would they bother to do this? Frankly, I'm baffled. Maybe they're just embarrassed.

Quoting: Hugh M Eye

the time for the graphs is not the samelook on the bottom linenothing was errasedand yes there is data for ACE, but its bad datalook at the density on that graphyou really think that the density is around 1.0 with a CME hit?with it maxing out around 6.0 density?

Quoting: NiNzrez

okay, so ace gives out bad data cause it was hit before it goes offline due to sensor contamination from the ongoing proton event

and this explains then the bad data, right?

Quoting: IwantToBelieve76

the sensors on board ACE are old, out of date, expired and needed replacedthey usually put ACE into safe mode whenever there is a significant event that could cause damage to the sensors. this time someone dropped the ball and did not put anything into safe modekey word here is DAMAGEthe proton event did not totally fry the ACE sensorsits not dead!But they were damaged thats for sureand now they are giving out inaccurate readingsthe sensor is not working correctly anymore

All ACE spacecraft subsystems are performing as expected.The second paragraph is interesting:With the recent solar activity, the ULEIS shutter closed to 25% at022-07:21:39z. The shutter will reopen automatically when the solaractivity decreases. Also, it looks like the CRIS Image Intensifierpowered off at 023-07:46:38z. It's the first time the Image Intensifierhas automatically shut off since 12/6/2006. The CRIS science team waitsfor the solar activity to decrease before requesting to send thecommands to turn it back on.

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." - "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."-- Thomas Jefferson

All ACE spacecraft subsystems are performing as expected.The second paragraph is interesting:With the recent solar activity, the ULEIS shutter closed to 25% at022-07:21:39z. The shutter will reopen automatically when the solaractivity decreases. Also, it looks like the CRIS Image Intensifierpowered off at 023-07:46:38z. It's the first time the Image Intensifierhas automatically shut off since 12/6/2006. The CRIS science team waitsfor the solar activity to decrease before requesting to send thecommands to turn it back on.

Quoting: joinca

Thanks, Joinca, nice find!

I don't think this totally explains the problems on the 24th however. Please let us know if you hear any new updates.

The ACE data seems to be better now, but the NICT sim. hasn't shown it.

All ACE spacecraft subsystems are performing as expected.The second paragraph is interesting:With the recent solar activity, the ULEIS shutter closed to 25% at022-07:21:39z. The shutter will reopen automatically when the solaractivity decreases. Also, it looks like the CRIS Image Intensifierpowered off at 023-07:46:38z. It's the first time the Image Intensifierhas automatically shut off since 12/6/2006. The CRIS science team waitsfor the solar activity to decrease before requesting to send thecommands to turn it back on.

Quoting: joinca

Thanks, Joinca, nice find!

I don't think this totally explains the problems on the 24th however. Please let us know if you hear any new updates.

The ACE data seems to be better now, but the NICT sim. hasn't shown it.

Updated 1/25/2012 @ 00:30 UTCStrongest Radiation Storm since 2003 The solar Proton Flux is finally starting to decrease. After the CME impacted Earth on Tuesday morning, it reached an even higher reading (6300 pfu) and is now the largest radiation storm since October 2003. This event was responsible for the re-routing of commerical flights through the polar regions due to radiation risks. [link to www.solarham.com] Updated 1/25/2012 @ 06:50 UTC Geomagnetic Storm Subsides The Kp index is now below 5, and the short lived G1 Geomagnetic Storm appears over for now. The solar wind on impact was over 750 km/s, but the mechanics of the event failed to generate a stronger storm. The Bz never dipped into negative territory for long durations, and this most likely suppressed activity. The solar wind remains near 600 km/s, and there is still a chance for geomagnetic activity to flare up again at very high latitudes. Stay Tuned to SolarHam.com for any new information.

UPDATE The Kp Index rose slightly to 4. Minor geomagnetic activity will be possible at very high latitudes.

and Bz just keeps swinging back and fourth... some kinda 'ring down' from the last CME?

Quoting: learner 8531500

may assist visuals:

Understanding of solar wind structure might be wrong

Los Alamos scientist suggests new approach to measuring flow from the sun

“For decades we have been interpreting the spectrum of fluctuations in the solar wind as a measurement of turbulence in the wind. However, it turns out that impurities (discontinuities) in plasma dominate the signal. Hence, the spectrum is not a clean measurement of turbulence, and it may not even be a measurement of turbulence,” Borovsky said. In simpler terms, perhaps, we couldn’t see the forest for the trees.................

............Borovosky argues that the discontinuities are part of a structure to the solar wind that looks like spaghetti, with the discontinuities being the boundaries between adjacent noodles (magnetic tubes). In this concept, the wind plasma is structured rather than being homogeneous. He suggests that the spaghetti structure of the solar-wind plasma reflects the “magnetic carpet” on the surface of the Sun, with the spaghetti in the wind being loose strands of the magnetic carpet.

............Borovosky argues that the discontinuities are part of a structure to the solar wind that looks like spaghetti, with the discontinuities being the boundaries between adjacent noodles (magnetic tubes). In this concept, the wind plasma is structured rather than being homogeneous. He suggests that the spaghetti structure of the solar-wind plasma reflects the “magnetic carpet” on the surface of the Sun, with the spaghetti in the wind being loose strands of the magnetic carpet.

and of course the wind has structure, shit, everything has structure.one of the most profound mistakes current science makes 9in my opinion, of course) is that they ass homoginity everywhere : makes the equations actually worked, u see?workable, but wrong as it turns out.

anywho

spiral noodles of magnetic tubes washing over us constantly, like waves on the sea shore, only in one more direction...and ethereal.

but the wind does not cause that sort of magnetic anomalies deep in out magnetosphear does it? i mean, there's gotta be actual moving charged particles out there to induce magnetic behavior so strongly.

and of course the wind has structure, shit, everything has structure.one of the most profound mistakes current science makes 9in my opinion, of course) is that they ass homoginity everywhere : makes the equations actually worked, u see?workable, but wrong as it turns out.

Solar activity is expected to be eruptive with chances for Cclass flares from NOAA AR 1402 and 1401. There remains a risk for an Mclass flare from one of these two regions. The proton event linked tothe M8.3 flare of Jan. 23 is still in progress, with >10 MeV proton fluxjust below 200 pfu. It reached a maximum value of about 6300 pfu on Jan.24 around 15:30 UT soon after a shock linked to the halo CME of Jan. 23was observed by ACE. Geomagnetic conditions are expected to be quiet tounsettled during the next 24 hours, with risks for isolated periods ofactive conditions. Active conditions are expected by Jan. 27, due to acoronal hole becoming geoeffective. Current solar wind conditions arerather quiet with minor disturbances in the interplanetary magneticfield; the solar wind speed is still around 600 km/s. [link to sidc.oma.be]